Tailgating is a term which comes from the practice of driving too close to the vehicle in front of you!  Its obviously risky and uncomfortable!

In the corporate this term is commonly used to refer to an event where people pass through secure doors without swiping their cards when the door is open!

At my new organization, folks have a lovely habit of ensuring that they swipe the card even though the door is ajar before passing through, however a recent system crash and subsequent recovery time is pushing people to tailgate! Even though the discomfort in doing that is obvious!

Its nice to see so many following a process diligently, and not so nice to actually look for open door opportunities to walk through! I have been stuck at my 6th floor cubicle a few times already, before I called security to walk me out, in absence of me being able to tailgate 🙂